Amtrak in College Towns

[Ryan]

Forget the literature. Real life tells me that you're mistaken. The though of college kids in sleepers is insane.

Yes, colleges are having to redo dorms because of space and privacy issues, but living arrangements for a semester are far, far different than a night or two while in transit. I can't tell you the number of times that we've packed many many people into a hotel room to save money, or crashed on random people's living room floor (or heck, even dorm room floors when visiting friends from other colleges) to save a buck.

As far as classes letting out earlier in the day, most college kids would blow off all their Friday classes in order to take a trip - I know that I did on many, many occasions and I wasn't alone. As far as the train taking twice the time as a car, I think that's a bit off, and a HUGE assumption to assume that folks at college have access to a vehicle (many don't).

 

[Ryan]

As for trains giving you time, generally I'd say the kid traveling from college is heading off to see his family, not changing venues for coursework. The train that takes twice as long to get there eats up visiting time. It's little consolation that the time can be spent with a few work resources at hand.

I think his point is that most folks would rather spend 6 hours on a train where they can study (or relax) than spend 4 hours driving where they have to pay attention to the road.

 

[pennyk]

When I went to the University of Florida (in the 1970's), I traveled there often by train. At that time there was a train station in Waldo (about 10+ miles from Gainesville). My first trip to college was by train (my clothes were shipped with a friend). My younger sister, who lived in Miami at the time, often took the train to visit. Taking the train was a convenient, economical way to travel while I was in college (and now too).

Unfortunately, in recent years Florida has witnessed Amtrak eliminate rail service to both UF in Gainesville (via Waldo), as well as FSU and FAMU in Tallahassee. I suppose we can expect that eventually Tallahassee's service will be restored, but I think Amtrak will need to reinstate trains along Florida's S-Line to significantly attract the 50K+ students from UF in Gainesville. Thruway Motorcoach service isn't going to cut it... even with money-concious students.

 

Amtrak could stand to improve their marketing efforts in college newspapers and campuses. I came to Tampa initially to attend the University of South Florida, and lived here for over 15 years before I realized I could take the train home instead of sitting in traffic on Interstate 4. Plus, taking Amtrak instead of driving gives one more time to study!

I certainly agree with you. The train service in Florida is definitely lacking. When I attended UF, there were only about 30,000 students. Many of us used the train back then, even though the station was a few miles away in Waldo. (no one would have ever heard of Waldo but for the train station).

Sitting in coach back then was a lot of fun - not so much fun now. :lol:

 

[tp49]

So are Amtrak California trains. I love seeing the Coast Starlight riding through Cal Poly San Luis Obispo campus. It's too numerous to list the universities that are being served by Amtrak trains such as Cal Poly, Santa Barbara, etc.

So true. Any Friday afternoon Capitol Corridor train during the school year will get packed at Davis with UC Davis students heading to the Bay Area for the weekend.

 

[DET63]

It would seem that Amtrak could learn from the areas where its trains successfully serve college students how to develop services where they don't yet exist. How well did Amtrak's Pioneer and Desert Wind serve students in Idaho and Utah? If trains were passing through (or near) Boise, Pocatello, SLC, Provo, etc., in the middle of the night, there probably wasn't much student traffic. If OTOH, they had arrived in SLC during the day, and/or served the college towns in question during the mid- to late afternoon, they might have been more successful.

I know that it's never an easy call, and building a service around traffic that might be a bit sporadic (much more traffic on weekends and before and after holidays) is probably risky at best. But given how many college students are encouraged to "go green" (or so it seems), it might help them to feel that they are fighting global climate change and saving the world whenever they take the train home to see Mom and Dad.

 

[haolerider]

It would seem that Amtrak could learn from the areas where its trains successfully serve college students how to develop services where they don't yet exist. How well did Amtrak's Pioneer and Desert Wind serve students in Idaho and Utah? If trains were passing through (or near) Boise, Pocatello, SLC, Provo, etc., in the middle of the night, there probably wasn't much student traffic. If OTOH, they had arrived in SLC during the day, and/or served the college towns in question during the mid- to late afternoon, they might have been more successful.
I know that it's never an easy call, and building a service around traffic that might be a bit sporadic (much more traffic on weekends and before and after holidays) is probably risky at best. But given how many college students are encouraged to "go green" (or so it seems), it might help them to feel that they are fighting global climate change and saving the world whenever they take the train home to see Mom and Dad.

I am sure, given the relatively small segment of the total demographics that constitute college students, this would be almost the last consideration studied when thinking about creating a new route or opening an old route. I am not sure anyone is even convinced that people will choose one mode of transportation over another based on how "green" that mode might be. Time will tell.

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

Pressed for time? With laptops and access to electrical outlets, the train actually gives you time.

I would venture a guess that when college students go home for the weekend, they are going to socialize (friends, family), and not to do computer work. At least that was true back back when I was a college student. So, being able to make up time "lost" by taking a slow train, by using one's laptop while on that train, doesn't help much.

 

[volkris]

I also don't really like this tone of seeking "advocates" for Amtrak with a focus on the politically active people.

Is this an acceptance of the political nature of rail, or the encouragement of it? Either way, I think, is pretty bleak.

I'd much rather seek customers for Amtrak, to expand the service because it fulfills peoples' needs, and get the political favors through demonstration of competency and value. If the service sufficiently met the needs of college students they'd tell each other, and the service would grow. But the tone of this suggestion strikes me as finding a few students who will be supporters despite not having needs met rather than many students because they were.

 

[DET63]

I also don't really like this tone of seeking "advocates" for Amtrak with a focus on the politically active people.
Is this an acceptance of the political nature of rail, or the encouragement of it? Either way, I think, is pretty bleak.

I'd much rather seek customers for Amtrak, to expand the service because it fulfills peoples' needs, and get the political favors through demonstration of competency and value. If the service sufficiently met the needs of college students they'd tell each other, and the service would grow. But the tone of this suggestion strikes me as finding a few students who will be supporters despite not having needs met rather than many students because they were.

Amtrak is a government supported and funded corporation. By that definition, it must be political. It is wise to get people who may have time, energy, and ambition to politically support it.

 

[jphjaxfl]

If trains were passing through (or near) Boise, Pocatello, SLC, Provo, etc., in the middle of the night, there probably wasn't much student traffic. If OTOH, they had arrived in SLC during the day, and/or served the college towns in question during the mid- to late afternoon, they might have been more successful.

Amtrak's Floridian between Chicago and Florida passed through Bloomington, IN during the night in both directions and there was always a crowd of college students boarding. I used to catch the Empire Builder in Grand Forks, ND home of UND and there were always lots of college student board east bound after midnight and westbound around 5AM. The college age guys and gals that I know have no problems with late nite traveling.

 

[wayman]

If trains were passing through (or near) Boise, Pocatello, SLC, Provo, etc., in the middle of the night, there probably wasn't much student traffic. If OTOH, they had arrived in SLC during the day, and/or served the college towns in question during the mid- to late afternoon, they might have been more successful.

Amtrak's Floridian between Chicago and Florida passed through Bloomington, IN during the night in both directions and there was always a crowd of college students boarding. I used to catch the Empire Builder in Grand Forks, ND home of UND and there were always lots of college student board east bound after midnight and westbound around 5AM. The college age guys and gals that I know have no problems with late nite traveling.

Likewise, the Crescent seems to do quite well with college students in Greensboro (~2-3am each way), and it does well with Lynchburg as well (~11pm/6am).